Our Glamorous Time

Chapter 1: First Encounter

The train was rumbling along, traveling from deep in the snow-capped mountains to the endless horizon.

The scenery outside the window was like a movie, jumping from one frame to another; towering mountains, drifting clouds, sparkling lakes, and herds of cattle and sheep hidden in the grassland that was troubled by the wind.

All the colors in the landscape of Tibet appeared pure and tranquil. Every glance of them seemed to touch the deepest parts of the heart.

Lin Qian sat by the window.

The entire carriage was filled with people except for the space around her, which was deserted. Everybody seemed to be very careful in keeping a polite distance from the young woman.

Lin Qian was somewhat embarrassed but thought it kind of funny at the same time. She held her forehead in one hand and distractedly read a book in the other. Whenever she looked up, she saw a crowd of army green. She could feel the men's gazes fall upon her from time to time, making her blush slightly.

Indeed, it was unusual for a young woman with just a backpack to find herself in a carriage packed with soldiers and then traveling eight hours with them.

It was only two days ago that Lin Qian had been in an accident in the snowy mountains.

Because of her new job, she had allowed herself to take a vacation before starting. She had gone hiking in Tibet, a trip that she had been dreaming of for a long time.

Hiking shouldn't have been that difficult considering her physical state and experience with outdoor activities. But on her way back, her rented pickup truck had stopped working halfway down the mountain. An unexpected change in the weather had brought overnight snow, which added to her anxiety.

Luckily, at dawn the next day, a group of passing soldiers rescued her. The border guards were so friendly that they had offered to put her on a special train that transported veterans newly-retired from their service. The train could take her all the way to Lhasa.

A soldier sitting on the other side of the aisle took the initiative to ask, "Miss, where are you from?"

All of the soldiers had likely heard about her situation, so they were being particularly nice to her. Lin Qian smiled. "I'm from Lin City."

Upon hearing that, a soldier down the aisle said cheerfully, "I'm from Lin City too, so we're from the same area!"

Lin Qian looked up and smiled at him as well. She had a sweet face. Even though she was bundled in a jacket and wore no makeup, she still looked pretty and neat. Her smile made the soldiers' hearts skip a beat.

The soldier laughed and asked again, "So I'm guessing you're a university student?"

"No, I've actually been working for a few years," she answered politely. Her soft, gentle voice seemed to carry a kind of unhurried natural ease, which made the soldiers feel comfortable. They again said she looked like a young student.

"What company do you work for in Lin City?"

Lin Qin replied, "Um, Aida Group."

"Impressive!" The fellow-townsman gave her a thumbs up. "That's the top enterprise in our city. It's said it has billions in assets..."

Lin Qian acted natural, but in between the conversations, she occasionally stole glances at the man sitting in front of her at an angle.

This man was the most silent yet conspicuous person in the entire carriage. It was hard for her not to notice him.

He wore a woolen military coat and, even though he sat with his back to her, appeared very tall and stood out from the general height of the soldiers around him. The wide-brimmed army cap was pulled so far down that most of his face was covered, leaving his clean-cut profile to be barely visible. His skin looked lighter than the others.